The Finno-Ugrian Vampire

by Noemi Szecsi

If you've ever felt like the outsider, even within your own family, Jerne's tale will resonate like struck crystal. Gawkily unpredictable and meandering, wry and clever and vivid, this is not the vampire story you're expecting.

Extract

So, giving the lie to those vaunted vampire legends, we don’t live in some ruined castle. These days even vampires try to find sensible solutions and who wants to spend a fortune on gas, water and electricity? The house where we have a top floor flat has every modern convenience and is in excellent condition, thanks to the house representative’s contacts and string-pulling. The plaster is not peeling off, the walls are not covered in saltpetre and the balconies don’t need shoring up from the outside.